By: Carmesha Thompson

If you work for or with a pharmaceutical company that has a Facebook page, then you are probably well aware of Facebook’s recent decision prohibiting pharmaceutical brands from disabling users’ ability to comment on brand posts, photos and videos. While branded pages solely dedicated to a prescription drug may continue to have the commenting functionality disabled (with Facebook’s approval), company, disease and patient-oriented pages must now allow commentary.

Prior to this decision, which went into effect August 15, pharmas were exempt from Facebook’s mandate that all pages allow for user commentary. This was done to protect pharma companies from any user comments that violate strict regulations set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  This includes comments about side-effects and comments deemed as off-label promotions— which means to promote the use of a medical devise or drug for an indication not approved by the FDA. (For instance, if a company has a branded page for an anti-depressant and a user comments that the drug also improved his cholesterol level).  The FDA could hold the pharma responsible for such comments by issuing a citation to the company.  Companies were also concerned about the FDA’s “fair balance” requirement that calls for product claims about a drug to be balanced with additional information about its risks.

While pharmas are having to adapt to the new change, by either removing their pages or monitoring them more closely, many in the industry understand that one of Facebook’s main features is its interactivity and encouragement of dialogue on pages. The organization that people are irked at isn’t Facebook, rather it’s the FDA, for their unwillingness to outline clear social media guidelines and/or policies.

For the past month, those following the situation closely have been waiting with abated breath to see the type of outcome the decision would result in, with many predicting that pharmas would remove their pages altogether.

However thus far, the change has not had the major effect that many thought it would have. WCG, a communications agency focused on health care, reported that out of 62 pharmaceuticals, only 11 have removed their pages. Most are modifying their pages and carefully monitoring comments to catch and delete any that might raise a red flag with the FDA, such as comments that reference a product or posts that offer medical advice. Also as mentioned above, product-specific pages, in which inappropriate comments are more likely to be made, may continue to be disabled.

In addition, there are other ways that pharma companies can acclimate themselves to the change. There is a “More Information” section at the bottom of walls that can be used to add important safety information that will always show at the bottom of the page. This eliminates companies having to include the same disclaimer in every single post.

Since users cannot mention a product name, even to ask questions, pharma companies should provide an alternative, such as a FAQ section or a ‘Contact Us with Product Questions’ form that users can fill out. They should also consider having a comment policy page that explains the types of comments that will be removed and the reasoning behind the removal as Pfizer does here.

Applications also have been developed that will help pharmaceutical brands with the change including Facebook AETracker which helps pharma companies track user comments on adverse drug reactions and product misinformation in real-time as well as the PharmaWall which allows administrators to manage what content  is posted to their Facebook page.

By: Ariana Gomez

Video sharing is an easy and cost effective way to engage your healthcare audience. In fact, many healthcare professionals already use video sharing to promote their professional brand and attract new patients. If used correctly it can also offer an innovative platform in which healthcare providers can directly communicate with patients and foster relationships. There are three different platforms through which you can start sharing your videos: YouTube, your website and your blog.

Create your own YouTube channel

The easiest and most common way to engage in video sharing is through YouTube.  After going through a quick set up process, YouTube will allow you to disseminate videos to thousands of potential viewers. More importantly, YouTube works as a search engine, thus it will directly connect you to a receptive audience, as the people watching your videos actively searched you or a topic associated with your videos to find them. In addition, YouTube’s search engine function will simultaneously increase your online visibility.

Viewers subscribed to your channel will automatically be updated every time you upload a new video. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t become the next Isaiah Mustafa (the Old Spice guy). Not everything goes viral, but having your own video channel will allow you to monitor viewers’ conversations and video discussion. Pay close attention to these discussions and use the information to better tailor content to your audience.

Use video to rev-up your website

Another easy way to get started with video is by incorporating it into your website. Create a friendly welcome video for your homepage to help patients better connect with your brand. A good welcome video should be friendly and inviting and provide general guidelines of what information can be found on the site.

To incorporate video throughout the rest of your website, use informational videos. Create short segments giving patients a general overview of illness symptoms, preventative care, etc. The goal is to give viewers enough information to keep them engaged but not give too much detail. You want your videos to encourage viewers to return for more information.

Offer exclusive video content on your blog

Blogs are an excellent platform for video sharing as they allow for more content freedom. You can create a mini video series to bring audiences back to your blog. Miniseries help drive viewers to your blog and videos alike. A simple yet effective example is a “Meet Our Doctors” video series in which medical practitioners can talk about their personal and professional passions. Much like welcome videos, these help you connect with patients on a more personal level and help create a unified team image.

Whichever platform you choose to share your videos, make sure to keep your video content interesting. Audiences have short attention spans. No matter how interesting you think your video content may be, keep the length to two to four minutes. For longer videos, break them up into shorter segments and turn them into a miniseries. The key to video sharing success is to keep your audience engaged!